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LONG BEACH, Calif. - For the second time this season, No. 5 New Mexico men's soccer senior Devon Sandoval has been named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week. The forward scored three goals in the Lobos' two games last weekend in the 2012 Nike Lobo Invitational. Sandoval's performance also earned him the Offensive MVP award of the tournament.

Sandoval has seven goals and two assists in the first eight matches of the 2012 season. He leads the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in goals and points. The senior had eleven goals in his entire 2011 season, which saw him earn First Team All-Region and All-MPSF honors.

The native of Albuquerque scored his first goal of the weekend against Fairfield. He took advantage of a miscue in the Stags' backline that saw a defender flick the ball over the head of the keeper. Sandoval sprinted deep into the box and beat everyone else to the ball for the sliding goal.

The senior would find the back of the net twice in New Mexico's 3-0 win over Northern Illinois. Sandoval scored twice within a ten-minute span. First, he headed home a Blake Sandoval cross in the 20th minute. The forward would tally another goal due to hustle, much like he did against Fairfield, in the 30th minute. A ricochet off a NIU defender bounced past the goalkeeper before Sandoval again raced in for the tap-in goal.

The Lobo forward was named to TopDrawerSoccer's first National Team of the Week of the 2012 season. That came after the then sixth-ranked Lobos defeated second-ranked UCLA in Los Angeles. Sandoval tallied two goals in that thrilling match broadcast nationally on the PAC-12 Network.

Sandoval and the rest of the Lobos return to action with one match this week. They travel to Houston Baptist University for their first MPSF conference game at 6 p.m. (MT) on Saturday, September 29th.